Chapter 11 He Wants Her Dead

When I awoke, I found myself in a private hospital room. The only person present was a woman in her fifties—Carter, the maid from Grandma Cecilia Fairchild's household. "Carter…" I called out weakly. She turned, and upon seeing I was awake, grew anxious. "Stay down, don't move. I'll get the doctor." With that, she rushed out. I glanced around. Judging by the room's decor, this must be Holy Heart Hospital. But why was I here? And why was Cecilia Fairchild's maid taking care of me? I was filled with confusion, with no one to ask. Soon, Carter returned with the doctor. He examined me and concluded it was just extreme fatigue and low blood sugar—nothing serious. All I needed was proper nutrition at home. I thanked the doctor. After he left, I asked Carter what had happened. She gave me a rough summary: after I fainted, Dominic Hawthorne had brought me to the hospital, stated my identity, and then left. When the hospital heard I was from the Fairchild family, they admitted me. They first contacted my parents, Sterling and Judith Fairchild—both refused to take responsibility. With no choice, the hospital reached out to Cecilia Fairchild. Hearing this, a lump rose in my throat. Cecilia was the matriarch of the Fairchild family. Both her children bore her surname. Ever since I joined the family three years ago, every member had looked down on me, never giving me a proper glance. Only Cecilia treated me with genuine affection—remembering my birthday, throwing me birthday parties. Especially during my first birthday with the family, she invited numerous prominent figures from Swan City, formally introducing me to high society. As I was lost in thought, Cecilia entered the room. She sat beside my bed, gently holding my hand, her voice tinged with sorrow. "Liddy, you've lost weight again. I'll have Carter cook for you at your place." "No, I can take care of myself." I didn't want Cecilia to know I was staying with Gina—she'd definitely insist on finding me a new apartment. I didn't want to trouble her. Knowing my nature, Cecilia didn't press further. Instead, she asked, "What happened? Why did you collapse here?" I looked at her, hesitating, unsure how to explain. I didn't want to worry her. Seeing my silence, Cecilia asked, "Is there something going on at home? Something you've been hiding from us?" I froze. Staring at her, I hesitated—should I tell her about the wedding? Should I confess everything that happened yesterday and let her take charge? At that moment, Judith and Sterling appeared at the door. They entered with cold expressions. Seeing Cecilia and me holding hands, Judith immediately lashed out, "Lydia Fairchild, how much more do you want to torment us? Are you trying to kill Nona?" Her outburst naturally drew Cecilia's attention. She turned and sharply rebuked Judith, demanding to know what was going on. Judith half-knelt before Cecilia, her face twisted with grief, and began recounting the wedding incident. Her version this time was even more exaggerated than the one she gave when I confronted Dominic earlier. At first, I felt angry and wanted to argue, but then I noticed Cecilia's expression remained calm and unreadable. Her hand still rested on mine—she didn't pull away. So I stayed silent, waiting for Judith to finish before saying, "That's not how it happened." "You're still trying to lie?" Sterling shouted, raising his hand as if to slap me. Cecilia stepped in front of me. "Enough! We'll discuss this once both girls are discharged." Her words silenced Sterling—he didn't dare disobey. My injuries weren't serious. I was discharged that afternoon and left with Cecilia. Judith and Sterling followed. As we approached the entrance, I saw not only Cecilia's staff waiting, but also Wendy Parker, the maid from Sterling's household. The moment Sterling saw Wendy, he seemed to realize something and snapped, "Why aren't you at home? What are you doing here?" Wendy kept her head down, silent. I realized—Wendy had been standing right there the day before the wedding, when Sterling begged me to marry in Nona's place.